Mark Wile

I began my career in manufacturing at the age of 16, working for a company that provided services to the nuclear power industry and the military. I started out in production, moved on to quality, and then into maintenance. I spent the bulk of my career as a maintenance technician. In my early 30s, I started working at a medical device manufacturer, eventually moving into an engineering technician position. I started coursework toward a bachelor’s degree in Technical Operations Management at OU in 2017. A couple of years later, I was offered my first supervisory role, overseeing maintenance, tooling, process technicians, and a calibration lab, across three shifts working seven days a week. I had 33 direct reports at the beginning, about 2 months before the pandemic hit. I stuck it out for about a year and a half, then began working at a start-up company that uses robots and AI to weld parts for clients. I was promoted to Facilities Manager six months after I started. I was responsible for managing contractors and the transformation of a 186,000 square-foot warehouse into a manufacturing facility. In December of 2022, I finished my bachelors of Technical Operations Management from Ohio University. I started in my current role in July of 2023, my first few weeks spent moving the equipment from the lab at the Lancaster Main Campus to the Fairfield County Workforce center.
While this is my first formal teaching job, I have been teaching for most of my career, both on the factory floor and in a classroom training environment. Much of what I learned on the factory floor was what is called "hard knocks". Because of the "hard knocks", I highly value any type of learning that saves time, money, sweat, and blood.
I have been happily married for 37 years and have a daughter who is attending Princeton University for her PhD, and a son who works for a start-up tech company in Columbus as a technical support specialist. In my spare time, I enjoy reading (everything from classic literature to modern non-fiction), running, biking, kayaking, craft beers, and fine whiskeys. I grow a garden every year that produces too many tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash to keep up with. I also enjoy working on projects in my garage and learning about new tools and techniques.

Research Interests: Science and technology, business.